A large cannon in the northeast corner of Guilford’s Alderbook Cemetery honors local Civil War veterans.
The cannon, a 100-pounder Parrott rifle manufactured in 1863, was dedicated in 1902 to honor veterans buried in a section near the cannon. The cannon points southeast, and has been mounted on a stone platform inscribed with the initials G-A-R to honor the Grand Army of the Republic, the Civil War veterans’ organization.
A plaque on the southwest face bears the dedication “To the memory of those who fought for the preservation of the Union 1861-1865”
Concrete footings near the cannon indicate the monument once had two displays of cannonball pyramids, but those have been removed (possibly for a World War II scrap drive).
The Connecticut Historical Society description identifies the cannon incorrectly as a Rodman gun, one of the few errors we’ve noticed in their invaluable compilation of the state’s Civil War monuments. The cannon, probably used by the Navy, bears a distinctive band near the breech, and the markings include the initials of the designer, Robert Parker Parrott.
